Built In 1910, Oregon's Hawthorne Bridge Is The Oldest Vertical Lift Bridge In Operation In America
By Sarah McCosham|Published July 15, 2022
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
The Portland skyline is iconic, and truly is the sum of *all* its parts. Between majestic Mount Hood, the wondrous Willamette River, the cherry-blossom lined Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park, and the city’s numerous skyscrapers and historic buildings, there’s no city more beautiful than the Rose City. A port town through and through, the bridges of Portland are a quintessential part of the city’s pizzazz, and the Hawthorne Bridge truly stands out as one of the best. Built in 1910, the Hawthorne Bridge is the oldest vertical lift bridge in America that’s still in operation, and it’s an only-in-Oregon marvel that deserves its 15 minutes of fame.
Portland, Oregon, is an immensely beautiful city. Sometimes that gets lost in the everyday hustle and bustle of life. But as its name suggests, Portland is a port city, and the waterfront is one of its most distinguishing features.
The Hawthorne Bridge is a truss bridge with a vertical lift that spans the Willamette River, joining Hawthorne Boulevard and Madison Street. It is the oldest vertical-lift bridge in operation in America, and the oldest highway bridge in Portland.
Vertical clearance for river traffic is lower than other bridges on the river; the main span can be raised 110 feet to allow vessels to pass underneath. Like other vertical lift bridges, the Hawthorne uses a system of counterweights and cables to move the lift span straight up and down.
For well over a century, the Hawthorne Bridge has one of Portland’s busiest bridges. It's estimated that the Hawthorne safely carries approximately 30,000 cars and trucks, 800 TriMet buses, 8,000 bicycles and many, many pedestrians daily across the Willamette River.
Practical and picturesque, the Hawthorne Bridge continues to serve the city of Portland well -- not just its vehicles, river commerce, and public transportation system, but the pedestrians, cyclists, runners, and walkers that revel in its stunning architecture and jaw-dropping vistas each and every day.
Looking for more astonishing superlatives in the Beaver State? In Oregon City, you’ll find the only vertical street in North America…and one of just a handful in the entire world!
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